My English ones survived the winter in the garden in a free draining area, but I would put French ones into the GH and keep them on the dry side. I think it's the wet rather than the cold that they don't like.
I have mine planted rather than in pots and have learned to my cost that English Lavender might have a little die-back but will otherwise be fully hardy but I treat French Lavender as bedding plants because they never make it past the heavy frosts. Maybe next year I'll plant them in pots, then extract and put in coldframes or the GH. Re the english lavender, it does better if you don't cut it back before winter. Sometimes I harvest all my lavender and the plants always suffer more die-back than if I leave the dead heading until spring.
Macvity are your lavenders too large to put little bells (gloches?) Over them to give them some protection or would that not be enough? I've seen them available but I really don't know how much help they are.
My French lavender survived for several years even though the winters were hard and wet just then. However, I am on light sandy soil and so maybe that made the difference. What finished them off pretty effectively was Rosemary Beetle. Grrr!
My French Lavender seems to have its own ideas about hardiness too. It's in a bed. Gets baked in summer, buried under six inches of snow in winter, and comes back every year.
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Is this an English lavender or one of the French types with the 'bunny ear ' petals?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Dove, I have a French one, should I pop it in the greenhouse?
I would - they're just a little more tender than we tough English types
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
My English ones survived the winter in the garden in a free draining area, but I would put French ones into the GH and keep them on the dry side. I think it's the wet rather than the cold that they don't like.
I have mine planted rather than in pots and have learned to my cost that English Lavender might have a little die-back but will otherwise be fully hardy but I treat French Lavender as bedding plants because they never make it past the heavy frosts. Maybe next year I'll plant them in pots, then extract and put in coldframes or the GH. Re the english lavender, it does better if you don't cut it back before winter. Sometimes I harvest all my lavender and the plants always suffer more die-back than if I leave the dead heading until spring.
Macvity are your lavenders too large to put little bells (gloches?) Over them to give them some protection or would that not be enough? I've seen them available but I really don't know how much help they are.
My French lavender survived for several years even though the winters were hard and wet just then. However, I am on light sandy soil and so maybe that made the difference. What finished them off pretty effectively was Rosemary Beetle. Grrr!
My French Lavender seems to have its own ideas about hardiness too. It's in a bed. Gets baked in summer, buried under six inches of snow in winter, and comes back every year.